Abstract
Concrete tie bending strength tests were conducted by Battelle-Columbus Laboratories at Columbus, Ohio, as part of the Tie and Fastener Verification Studies contract (DOT-FRA-1652) sponsored by the FRA Office of Rail Safety Research. The object of the testing was to determine the effects of service loading on the strength of concrete ties to formulate assumptions about the economy of their use compared to wood ties. Of interest, also, is the comparison of concrete ties meeting the 1973 AREA structural requirements to earlier design types and to the manufacturers’ test results. Used and unused ties from the same production runs were provided by the Transportation Test Center, Pueblo, Colorado, from a rebuilt section of the FAST track. Tabulations of tie strength for each group are presented, methods of testing are described, and the significance of the findings is discussed.